Engine-starting device.



E. KNEEZELL.

ENGINE smmuue DEVICE.

APPLIICATION FILED DEC. 30. 1913. 1 9 11% Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHO'm-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D.

E. KNEEZELL.

ENGINE STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.30, x913.

mwmmm Patented Apr.13, 11915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

. e f 2 A o A jIJIIIF Illn- I A A 1. 1 RE THE NORRIS PETERS 00., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON u. L.

EDVTAB/D KNEEZELL, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

ENGINE-STARTING DEVICE.

Application filed December 30, 1913.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD KNEEZELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starting Devices; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to starting devices for internal combustion engines, especially to those for propelling vehicles, and has for its purpose to provide a device wherein the operation is a simple and nonlaborious one, and which may be actuated without requiring the operator to leave the car.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a starting device having positive gearing connections for initially cranking the engine, and which connection automatically frees itself on the completion of the starting stroke to the end of avoiding the accidents incident to back firing.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views: Figure 1 illustrates the application of the invention to an automobile. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, with the casing in section, of the starting device. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the same. Fig. 4 is a front eleva-tional view. Fig. 5 is a top plan view illustrating the seat construction for receiving the controlling lever. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the lever pawl and ratchet drive. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified construction. Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 10 is a perspective View showing the arrangement of the starting lever on an au- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915..

Serial no. 809,528.

tomobile; and Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 10.

Referring to the construction in further detail, A. designates any type of auto-car having the usual motor for driving the shaft 1, and in any convenient position on said shaft beneath the seat 2, is mounted a pinion 3 that is adapted to have positive driving connections with the starting device for initially turning the shaft 1.

The starting device comprises a pair of hangers hand 5 that are suitably secured to and suspended from the beams 6 of the chassis. A third hanger 7 is in like manner mounted on the vehicle frame, and with the hangers 4: and 5 provide a supporting structure for the starting mechanism contained within the casing 8.

A. pinion or gear wheel 9 is journaled on the shaft 10, and at intervals, on its periphery, said wheel is cut-away as indicated at X (in i), whereby to provide segmental toothed sections 11 that are adapted to mesh with the pinion 3 of the shaft 1, to rotate the latter. Each cut-away portion X provides a free space for the rotation of the pinion 3 after the engine has been started. A bevel gear 12 is secured to the shaft 10 oi the segmental pinion 9, and meshes with a similar bevel gear 13 mounted on the countershaft 14 The countershaft 14; is journaled in suitable bearings provided by the hanger bars 5 and 7. The countershaft 14 is adapted to be rotated by the lever 15, through the medium of a ratchet wheel 16, keyed to the countershaft 14, and a pawl 17 carried by the lever. Said lever is fulcrumed to have free movement on the countershaft 14-, and the pawl 17 is normally held in engagement with the ratchet 16 by a spring 18.

The segmental gear 9 is at all times maintained in starting relation to the pinion 3, as clearly shown in Fig. it, by means of a spur or projecting member 19, carried by the lever 15, and adapted to engage between lugs 20 on the segmental pinion 9, and of which there is one pair provided for each toothed section 11. The relation between the support 9 and its engaging members 20 is such that said segmentalpinion is locked to the lever when the latter is in normal position for operation, (viz. Fig. 1).

, The vehicle seat 2 is cut-away, as shown in Fig. 1, to provide a slot 21 for the movement ofthe lever 15, and at the inner end of said slot a pair of springs 22 is provided to hold the lever in its upright position and readily permit of its release for the starting operation. The lower or front end 23 of the slot 21 serves in the capacity of a stop for limiting the extent of throw of the lever in the starting operation.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 7 to 10, the principle of operation is substantially the same as that described in the foregoing, but in this instance a turning crank 2 1 is employed in lieu of the fulcrumed lever 15. Said crank is connected to rotate the shaft 25 by a suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism contained within the cap 26, and said shaft 25 is journaled within the sleeve 27, which is in turn secured to the dash-board structure of the car.

A. pinion 28, on the shaft 25, meshes with a pinion 12 on the shaft 10, and a segmental pinion 9 is secured to rotate with the gear 12, and engages with the pinion 3 of the shaft 1, for the purpose described aforesaid. ,An arm 29 is mounted on the lower end of the'shaft 25, and has for its purpose to engage between the pairs of 111 gs 20 on the segmental gear, for the purpose stated in the former instance.

The lever 15, or turning crank 24, may be mounted in any other convenient position on the gear, but the arrangement shown herein is preferred, inasmuch as its convenience enables the starting of the engine without requiring the operator b0 leave the car.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an engine-driven shaft, of a starting device therefor compris ing a pinion mounted on the shaft; a segmental gear wheel adapted to have intermittent engagement with said pinion to rotate the shaft; driving gearing for said segmental gear wheel; and a lever for actuating said driving gearing, substantially as described. V

2. The combination with an engine-driven ,shaft, of a starting device therefor comprising a pinion mounted on the shaft; a segmental gear wheel adapted to have intermittent engagement with said pinion to rotate the shaft; a lever, gearing connections between said lever and the segmental pinion;

devices associated with the respective engaging segments of said segmental gear wheel; and a member carried by the lever for engaging with either of said devices to positively hold said segmental gear wheel in engaging relation with the shaft pinion, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an engine-driven shaft, of a starting device therefor comprising a pinion mounted on the shaft; a segmental gear wheel adapted to have intermittent engagement with said pinion to rotate the shaft; a lever; gearing connections between said lever and the segmental pinion; and means associated with said lever and segmental pinion for positively holding the latter in engaging relation with said shaft pinion, substantially as described.

at. The combination with an engine-driven shaft, of a starting device therefor comprising a pinion mounted on the shaft; a segmental gear wheel adapted to have intermittent engagement with said pinion to rotate the shaft; a lever; gearing connections between said lever and the segmental pinion; devices associated with the respective engaging segments of said segmental gear wheel, and a member carried by the lever for engaging with said devices to positively hold said segmental gear wheel in engaging relation with said shaft, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an engine-driven shaft, of a starting device therefor comprising a pinion mounted on the shaft; a segmental gear wheel adapted to have intermittent engagement with said pinion to rotate the shaft; a bevel pinion connected with said segmental gear wheel; a countershaft; a bevel pinion on said countershaft and meshing with the first named bevel pinion; a lever fulcrumed on said countershaft; and a pawl and ratchet driving connection between said lever and the countershaft, substantially as described.

6. The combination with an engine-driven shaft, of a starting device therefor comprising a pinion mounted on the shaft; a segmental gear wheel adapted to have intermittent engagement with said pinion to rotate the shaft; a bevel pinion connected with said segmental gear wheel; a countershaft; a bevel pinion on said countershaft and meshing with the first named bevel pinion; a lever fulcrumed on said countershaft; a pawl and ratchet driving connection between said lever and the countershaft, devices carried by said segmental gear wheel for the respective toothed sections thereof; and a member mounted on said lever for engaging with said devices for positively holding the toothed sections of said segmental gear in engaging relation with the shaft pinion, substantially as described.

7. lhe combination with an engine shaft ing rotary movement to the stub shaft, 1e having a gear mounted thereon, of an actuwhereby to rotate the engine shaft. ating shaft, a gear adapted to be mounted In testimony Where0f,I affix my signature, upon one end provided With spaced sets of in presence of tWo Witnesses.

i; teeth adapted for engagement With the first EDWARD KNEEZELL gear, a beveled gear upon the other end of said actuating shaft, a stub shaft having a Witnesses:

beveled gear adapted for engagement with OTTO H. Gon'rz, the first beveled gear, and means for impart- J. MAGOFFIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner) of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

